A Friend's Betrayal
by Mercstouch16
Summary: Salem wakes up in a hospital in Shanghai and realizes the decision Rios made on the 40th day.
1. Chapter 1

Salem didn't know where he was when he woke up. He felt heavy, tired, sore, and for some reason, severely hungry. It was so white, wherever he was. His eyes were heavy and the light felt so intense, it was a struggle to open them. There was something covering his nose and mouth, which he realized was an oxygen mask.

_Shit. A hospital?_ He thought. _What the hell happened?_

He tried to think back, pieces of memories appearing in his mind.

_Shanghai. Mall. Temple. Jonah. Some kind of decision?_

He concentrated harder, desperately trying to remember.

_Bomb. Sacrifice. 7 million people. Rios._

Then the memories began flooding back: the shock of Jonah's proposal, the loud bang of a single shot, Rios' pained expression. Salem's eyes flew open and he gasped.

_Rios shot me. He fuckin' shot me._

He glanced around the room in search of his partner, the growing anger and need for an explanation fueling his exhausted body. Salem then noticed the bigger man laying over his hospital bed. Rios' head was resting on his left forearm and his right hand grasped tightly to Salem's.  
Whatever negative feelings Salem had for Rios had disappeared when he saw his partner by his bedside. He wanted to be angry at Rios for betraying him like that, but the sight of him broke Salem's heart. The guy looked like shit. The dark circles under his eyes revealed his lack of sleep. He looked like he hadn't shaved in a couple days. It seemed like he aged a decade since Salem last saw him.  
He knew why Rios had done it. Being the more moral of the two as well as the final decision maker, it made sense that he would chose to save seven million people at the cost of one. Not to mention Jonah's whole " innocent men, women, and children" spiel probably got to him. Rios had a family, a kid, and the thought of someone destroying people like them really hit home. Though it hurt to think that Rios would actually put a bullet in him, he understood decisions were going to have messy consequences. Rios had just followed his gut and chose the one that made sense. Even though Rios did almost kill him, the guy also got him out alive and to a hospital.  
Salem squeezed the bigger man's hand, causing him to stir in his sleep. Rios' eyes fluttered open.

"Hey, big guy," Salem wheezed from his dry throat.

A look of simultaneous relief and guilt appeared on Rios' face when he realized his partner had regained consciousness. He leaned over Salem and held him in a tight embrace.

"Jesus, Elliot," Rios whispered into Salem's ear as they hugged.

"Thought you were a goner."

Rios pulled away from the younger man and placed his hand on the other's shoulder.

"How're you feeling?" Rios asked, his voice shaky with concern.

Salem sighed and closed his eyes, still exhausted. He sluggishly removed the oxygen mask from his face, then looked to Rios with half-shut, drowsy eyes.

"Like I got hit by a bus. Shit, Tyse, how long've I been out? I'm starvin'. Got any grub in this joint?

Rios chuckled, relieved his friend was back to his talkative self.

"One thing at a time, Ellie," Rios answered. Then a somber look came over his face.

"Nine days."

"What?"

"You've been out nine days, Ellie."

Salem laid still, taking in what Rios had told him. After a few moments he spoke.

"Nine days," Salem repeated in a soft, stunned voice.

"You were in a coma Ellie. Doc wasn't sure you'd even wake up with that bullet-"

Rios stopped mid sentence, an awkward silence filling the room. He stood and turned away from Salem and pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stifle the oncoming tears. He sighed heavily as the guilt of what he did to his partner, the person he was closest to and swore to protect, flooded over him.

"Tyse, don't. I'm fine, okay? Really."

"That's not the point, Salem!" Rios snapped.

Hearing his last name from Rios like that shook Salem. Whenever Rios called him by his last name, it was usually to show authority or scold Salem for his immature antics, but this time it was different. He wasn't angry at Salem. He was angry at himself.

"Then what's the fuckin' point, Tyse? If you're feeling guilty, stop. Okay?"

"I made you a promise," Rios said solemnly.

"Yeah, you did. You said you'd get me outta that shit hole in one piece. Look at me, dammit!

Salem then weakly gestured to himself, the argument clearly draining whatever energy he had to begin with.

"One fuckin' piece."

Rios looked at him, the shame clearly shown in his eyes.

"Barely."

Salem calmed down then said in a low voice,"Dammit, Tyse. I didn't mean for us to start arguing. Opposite of what I wanted, actually. I don't want what happened in Shanghai to change what's between us. Tyse, you're my bro and-" He paused and looked down, fiddling with the i.v. in his hand. "And I don't want to lose you."

There was a long period of silence between the two. Rios took in Salem's words, feeling a sense of relief. He was glad that Salem wanted to remain close, but at the same time it sickened him. Rios felt he didn't deserve Salem's friendship after what he did to him. Nevertheless, Salem wanted him to forget about it, so Rios agreed to, feeling it was the least he could do for his partner.

"Can we stop now with the touchy-feely shit," Salem said with a smirk in an attempt to lighten the mood. "No wonder everyone thinks we're gay."

Rios laughed at that, then patted Salem on the shoulder.

"You wanted some grub?" Rios asked.

"Oh, fuck, yes. I'm starving. Don't think I've been this hungry since that prison in Nigeria."

They both started cracking up as the memories came flooding back. Rios hoped times like those hadn't come to an end. Rios reached over and gripped Salem's hand in both of his. He then held his partner's hand against his cheek, grateful to be able to feel the steady pulse in Salem's wrist, a pulse he spent years fighting to keep going. A pulse he almost stopped himself.  
Rios easily placed Salem's hand down on the hospital bed, then lightly patted his partner's shoulder, giving a weak smile.

"I'll go get a nurse. They need to run some tests on you and make sure you check out alright. Then I'll get you some food," Rios said as he stood and headed for the door.

"Then you'll take me home?" Salem asked.

Rios paused before leaving the room and turned back to Salem. The way his partner said that made him seem like a small child and the look of drowsiness on Salem's face simply added to the affect.

"Yeah, Ellie," Rios answered with a small smile. "Then I'll take you home."


	2. Chapter 2

"Right this way, sir," instructed the nurse in a thick Mandarin Chinese accent. Behind her, Rios maneuvered Salem in a wheel chair through the long, white halls of the hospital toward a door labeled with thick Chinese characters, and under those, Radiology.  
When the three entered the room, the nurse grabbed a pillow off of a nearby chair and placed it down on the examination table. She, along with Rios, assisted Salem in standing and laid him down under the x-ray machine. The nurse laid a protective apron across Salem's lower half, then instructed him to lay still. Before Rios left with the nurse, he reassuringly touched Salem's shoulder.

"I'll be right in the next room. Nurse says it'll take a couple minutes."

"Tyse, it's just an x-ray. I'll be fine."

"Okay, Ellie," Rios said. He knew Salem was weary when it came to hospitals and was making sure his partner was as comfortable as possible.

"You just need to relax."

"I could say the same about you," Salem retorted jokingly.

After the x-ray was complete, the nurse led the two men back to Salem's hospital room. She told them the doctor would see them soon and further examine Salem's injuries. Rios helped Salem out of his wheel chair and positioned him comfortably on the hospital bed.

"Wanna try to find something on t.v.?" Rios asked.

"Nothing on but the news and I don't want to hear about that shit anymore," Salem answered, closing his eyes and leaning back into the thick pillows.

"Don't fall asleep, Trig," Rios ordered. "Doc's comin' to check on you any minute."

"Ah, fuck, Tyse. All he's gonna do is poke at my ribs, which hurt like a bitch. Won't do shit. If you ask me we coulda been state side by now."

"Ellie, I just wanna make sure you're really okay," Rios said with deep concern. "When the Doc says you're ready, I'm calling Cha Min Soo and getting us a plane home, okay? Besides, Dr. Wu's pretty grateful for us helping him out by turning on those generators and holding off Jonah's mercs. He's doing us a favor, Ellie. Sees us as heroes."

Salem scoffed.

"Yeah, real heroic. I can barely take a piss by myself now."

That statement was an emotional blow to Rios. All he could think about was how he was responsible for Salem's physical state. They really hadn't talked about what happened in depth, at Salem's request. The younger man seemed ready to forget, but Rios wasn't so sure he could. His solemn thoughts were interrupted by Dr. Wu entering the hospital room, smiling.

"Fallen from a balcony again, young man?" Wu said jokingly. Salem rolled his eyes, recalling when they first met. "I wasn't sure I would have the opportunity to see you two again. Although, maybe under different circumstances..."

"Feelings mutual, Doc," Salem said, gritting his teeth as he struggled to sit up.

Wu walked over to Salem and began undoing the ties on his hospital gown, revealing the heavy bandages over the bullet wound and deep bruising on Salem's chest.

"How are things going, Dr. Wu?" Rios asked. "Hospital's looking better since we last saw it."

"Oh, yes. The U.N. has been very helpful in repairing the damages to the hospital. They gave us additional medical supplies as well."

"Well whoopty-fuckin'-do," Salem said sarcastically.

"Salem-" Rios said warningly.

"I'm just sayin', Tyse, it took those guys too damn long to show up. If they got their shit together sooner maybe-"

He was interrupted when Dr. Wu began feeling his injured ribs.

"Ouch! Shit! Doc, warn me next time before you start poking around."

"My apologies. Now, do you have some troubles breathing?"

"Yeah," Salem answered. "Hurts like a bitch."

"That is expected with this type of injury," Wu responded.

"He's hurting a lot at night too," Rios added. "Wakes up cryin'."

"Do not," Salem protested, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Don't be embarrassed, Trig."

"I see. I will instruct the nurse to give you a stronger pain medication," Dr. Wu said. "With injuries like these, the best treatment is to rest. Also, it is better to lay on your injured side when sleeping."

"That makes no fuckin' sense, Doc," argued Salem.

"Yes, I know it sounds strange, but this will allow you to breathe easier. The uninjured side of your chest will be able to expand more, making breathing less of a struggle for you."

"Ellie, just do what he asks."

Salem just shrugged, too tired to argue.

Wu pulled the gown up around Salem's shoulders and retied the back. He then retrieved a manilla envelope and pulled out Salem's x-ray images. Wu held it toward the light so the two men could view it.

"You can see the multiple broken ribs here," Wu explained, pointing at the images. "And the bullet remains lodged here..."

Rios cringed at the sight of the bright cylinder positioned between Salem's ribs in the picture. He turned his attention to Salem, who looked with weary eyes at the x-ray images, gripping tightly to the edge of his bed struggling to sit up on his own. The younger man appeared so frail to Rios, which worried him greatly.

"You are a very lucky young man," Dr. Wu said, replacing the images into the envelope and setting them on the bed side table.

"No, Doc, keep 'em," Salem protested. "I don't need the souvenir."

Wu nodded and retrieved the envelope.

"I understand. I guess the bullet in your chest is enough. It will stay there for the rest of your life after all. Well, I'll leave you to rest."

He turned to Rios and said,"If he has anymore problems with pain, just call a nurse and they will see about increasing his medication."

"Thank you, Doctor, really," Rios said politely.

Then, Wu left the two men alone in the hospital room. An immense silence filled the room, which was only interrupted by Salem's rasping breaths. Both men didn't make eye contact. Rios stared down at the tile floor, Salem at the ceiling. A few minutes later, a nurse entered the room and gave Salem a morphine shot into the i.v. in his arm. Much to Rios' relief, Salem became his talkative self again.

"Damn, this stuff works fast," Salem said with a goofy grin as the drug began to take effect.

Rios, seated close by the bed, held Salem's hand.

"Glad you're feeling relaxed," Rios said with a light chuckle. "Try to get some sleep now, okay?"

"Okay, big guy, I-I-I..." Salem stopped mid sentence and started giggling, his eyes beginning to close.

"Hey, Tyse?" Salem called softly.

"Yeah, Ellie?"

A solemn look came over Salem's previously dreamy expression.

"Don't leave me, okay?" The words came out heavily slurred. Rios' heart sunk and again the sickening guilt flooded over him.

"I won't, Ellie," answered Rios, gripping Salem's hand tighter. "Wouldn't dream of it."

"Just...don't...don't." Salem slurred. He closed his heavy eyes, succumbing to the morphine.

Rios ran his fingers through Salem's tangled bangs and sighed.

"I won't, Ellie. Never again."


	3. Chapter 3

"Tyson? Jesus, where the hell are you? You were supposed to be home days ago. You haven't called. For Christ's sake, I thought you were-"

"Sam. Sam listen to me," Rios said, trying to console his frantic wife. "I know. I'm sorry, okay? Things have just been pretty hectic over here. We've been at a hospital in Shang-"

"Hospital?! Oh god, are you going to be okay? What-"

"I'm fine, Sam, really. It's Elliot. He's...been shot. He's okay though. Just needs to rest."

There was a long silence over the phone as Samantha fully took in Rios' words. She had never really liked Salem, with his overly confident, immature, foul-mouthed disposition, but she knew whether she liked it or not, he was also her husband's closest friend. Though he was a bit of a rough character, Salem was the one that made sure Rios came home to her and their daughter, and that she respected. The appreciation,though, didn't over power the guilty relief that it was Salem who was hospitalized and not her husband.

"Sam?"

"What? Oh, sorry, I was just thinking... Nala might not handle this well. She's already worried sick. Maybe, if he talks to her-"

"I don't know about that, Sam. He's pretty worn out."

"Tyson." Samantha pleaded. "She won't listen to me if I tell her. She's gotta here it from him,"

Rios sighed heavily, stopping his slow pace outside of Salem's hospital room, thinking.

"Okay, but let me talk to her first."

There was commotion at the other end as Samantha went to fetch their daughter. A few seconds later, a small voice came over the phone.

"Daddy?"

Rios felt a gigantic weigh lift off his shoulders. The 7-year-old's voice gave him a sense of relief and fought off the growing home-sickness that often came as a result of long missions like these.

"Hey, baby girl."

"When will you and Uncle Ellie come home? I miss you."

"I know, baby. It won't be long now, okay? Uncle Ellie just had to stay at the hospital for a little while. He got hurt pretty bad, but he's okay now. I promise."

"I wanna talk to him," Nala said, her voice growing in pitch along with her panic.

A small smile came over Rios' face.  
"I knew you would, baby. I'll give him the phone. Just hold on a sec."

He entered the room nodded to Salem, who he was happy to see was already awake. Rios held the phone to his chest and smiled widely at the other man.

"What?" Salem asked, confused by his partner's sudden good mood.

"It's Nala. She wants to talk to you. Make sure you're okay."

Salem chuckled, the thought of the small girl lifting a heavy weight off of his heart.

"Put her on speaker, big guy," the smaller man said weakly, too tired to hold the phone himself.

Rios did as his partner asked, pushing the speaker button and setting the phone on the pillow beside Salem's head.

"Hey, baby girl. Heard ya missed me."

"Uncle Ellie! You're okay! When will Daddy bring you home?"

"Woah, one thing at a time, girly," Salem said, chuckling at the small girl's enthusiasm. "It'll be a couple of days. After all, can't miss that chorus recital that's comin' up."

Nala giggled, making a wide smile spread across Salem's face, much to Rios' delight.

The younger man's health had significantly improved since his arrival to the hospital. The images of that day often haunted Rios in his sleep: carrying Salem's limp, pallid form hugged tight to his chest, screaming desperately for someone to save his dying friend, watching in horror as the younger man was wheeled down the crowded hospital halls, wandering if he'd ever see him alive again. The memory repeatedly played in his head, causing an overwhelming and burdening guilt that sickened his conscience like a virulent toxin of the heart.

His daughter's laughter interrupted his dismal thoughts.

"You remembered!" Nala exclaimed.

"How could I forget?" Salem said with a laugh. "You got that big solo and everything. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

The conversation continued like that as Salem listened intently to the small girl, and her to Salem. The two were very close, which surprised Rios at first. When he told his partner of his wife's pregnancy seven years ago, he half expected his partner to be upset or even disappointed in him, like when he first announced his proposal to Samantha. He remembered Salem disliking the idea of his friend settling down and how worried he was that Rios was going to be too busy with a family to accommodate him and their hazardous and extravagant lifestyle, but the younger man actually seemed thrilled when he learned of a new addition to the family. "A mini Rios!" and "Tyse Junior!" he had exclaimed, wrapping his arms around the bigger man's neck. Rios returned the embrace by picking Salem up in a bear hug, rocking and laughing with his friend.  
Though Rios was a bit strict and strived to make sure his daughter was disciplined and well behaved, Salem spoiled Nala to no end. It wasn't unusual for Rios to come home with his wife from an evening out to find Salem running around the house with arms outstretched and carrying the young girl on his shoulders, laughing hysterically, playing one of Nala's favorite games,"fighter pilot". Other times the couple would come home to find the two asleep on the couch with photo albums strewed across the living room table full of pictures depicting Rios and Salem's many travels and missions. Nala loved to hear the crazy stories of her father's and uncle's adventures in far away places, and the impossible odds they were often faced with but over came together. Samantha would carefully pick her daughter off of Salem's chest and put her to bed, while Rios would stretch a blanket over Salem, ruffle his hair, and say, "Night Ellie."

As Nala talked over the phone, Rios noticed Salem yawn and struggle to keep his eyes open.

"Hey, baby? We'll have to get off the phone," Rios said to his daughter before she could continue. "Uncle Ellie needs to rest, okay?"

"Awww," she whined in protest. "Oh, okay. Bye, Uncle Ellie. I miss you."

"Miss you too, girly," Salem said sleepily. "See you real soon."

"Yeah, we'll be home before you know it, Nala," Her father added.

The three said their goodbyes and Nala hung up, leaving the two men in silence. Salem sighed heavily and sunk deeper into his pillows, exhausted but happy to have been able to talk to his niece.

"Cute kid."

Rios chuckled lightly. "Yeah, but you spoil her rotten."

"Hey, that's what uncles are for, right?" Salem retorted light-heartedly. "Besides, it's not like I have anyone else to spend all that money on."

Rios sighed, becoming suddenly disheartened by that sad, but true statement. Salem had nobody. The only other people Rios remembered Salem really liking as friends were their fellow Rangers in their squad, but they were gone. His father was a dead beat and a drunk who disowned him years ago, his mom left him when he was four, and he was pretty sure the rest of his family forgot about him, thought he was dead, or just didn't want him. That left Rios, Nala, and Samantha, who wasn't too fond of him. The self-reproach again began to overcome him as he realized why Salem had forgiven him so easily.

He didn't have a choice.

Salem couldn't have held this against him because, by doing so, he lost the only remaining family he had left. He would've been completely alone, and if Rios learned anything about his partner after all these years, it was that Salem was scared of being alone.

Rios stroked his fingers through Salem's hair, making the younger man begin to dose off.

"She loves you so much, Ellie," Rios said reassuringly. "We all do."

"Thanks, Tyse."

"For what?"

"For a family. For bein' my bro," Salem sighed and looked at Rios with tired and endearing eyes.

"For lovin' me."

"You don't gotta thank me for that, Elliot," Rios said comfortingly, continuing to brush back Salem's hair with his fingers. "Just try to get some sleep."

"Shit, Tyse, I'm tired of just layin' around. Can't we take a walk or something? Just a short one? You know I get all antsy if I stay in one place too long."

"I don't know, Ellie," Rios said. "You've had it rough and I don't think you should push it."

"Oh, come on, big guy," Salem pleaded. "Just a little stroll down the hall, a little change of scenery. Come on it'll be good for me."

Rios sighed, looking into his partner's pleading eyes. It was hard to resist that goddamn puppy-dog gaze he made when he really wanted something. That pitiful expression often got Salem his way as well as into trouble, like the time he used it to convince Rios to go on that mission to China with SSC because he "could really use the cash." It worked in the Rangers, it worked at SSC, and it worked now.

"Dammit. Alright, Ellie, I'll take you, but just a short walk then you're ass is going back to bed and sleeping, you got me?" Rios bark authoritatively.

"Yeah, yeah. I got you," Salem said with a half-smile as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He gripped onto the pole holding his i.v. bag and slowly set his socked feet onto the cool tile. Rios assisted him by holding him up by his other arm and leading him toward the door.

"I got it," Salem said reassuringly as he broke his arm free of Rios's grip and walked ahead. He chuckled lightly at Salem's attempt to cover the back of his hospital gown that revealed his black boxer-briefs, but gave up after a few tries.

Rios continued to look over at his partner as they walked down the halls, checking his breathing and for signs that he was pushing himself too hard, but the other man seemed content with their stroll.

"Hey, maybe we can check out the gift shop," Salem said enthusiastically.

"I doubt they'd have the gift shop open, Ellie. I think they have other things to worry about."

"Oh." Salem said disappointedly. "I was thinking we could pick up something for Nala. A stuffed animal or something, I don't know. She likes when we bring her back something."  
"Yeah. She wants me to bring you back."

Salem gave a weak smile and nodded. After a long silence between the two, Salem looked down at the floor and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Don't tell her about this, okay?"

"What?"

"Just don't tell Nala about Shanghai. About you-"

Salem stopped, unable to finish his sentence.

"Shooting you," Rios said solemnly.

"Yeah."

Again, there was a long pause before Salem spoke again.

"She doesn't need to hear about it. This whole things fucked up and she wouldn't understand. We just need to put this whole thing behind us. For me, for you, and for her."

"Okay. I can do that," Rios said, looking down at the floor.

The bigger man returned his attention to Salem and noticed he was breathing heavily and gripping tightly to the stand.

"Come on. Let's turn back," Rios said as he gave Salem his arm for support. The other man, grateful for the help, held tightly to his friend's arm as they walked back to the room.

Salem practically collapsed onto his bed, his face deep in his pillows, legs still hanging off the side. Rios lifted the other man's legs onto the bed and helped him get comfortable. He covered him with the sheets and brushed his hair back from his forehead that was daubed with a thin layer of sweat.

"Thanks," he breathed and closed his eyes. Rios sighed and leaned back in his chair by Salem's bed, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked back to his partner who had already stilled and was softly snoring.

"Sleep well, Flaco," he said before he too drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

"I see them!" Nala exclaimed, pointing to the two men walking from the airport terminal. She shook her hand free of her mother's grasp and ran into her father's open arms. Rios held Nala in a tight embrace with a wide smile spread across his face.

Oh, I missed my girl," he said, kissing her lightly on her forehead.

Setting his daughter down gently, he walked to his wife and hugged her tightly. She returned the embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. Rios looked over his wife's shoulder at his daughter, who, like his wife, wrapped her small arms around Salem's neck and kissed his stubbled cheek.

"Hey, kid-o," Salem said warmly. "God, I missed you."

"I missed you too, Uncle Ellie."

Rios and Samantha walked back to their daughter.

"Elliot," Samantha greeted seemingly apathetical.

"Samantha," Elliot said with a nod.

She was a bit surprised by the man's appearance. He looked exhausted with his dark eyes and slumped shoulders. He was dressed in a simple, oversized grey hoody, with faded jeans ripped on one knee, and his brown combat boots. She also noticed in the hand not holding on to her daughter a red luggage bag.

"Here, let me take that," she said, reaching for Salem's luggage. He gratefully handed over the bag with a weak half-smile.

"Thanks."

On the way home, Samantha drove with Rios in the passenger seat. Nala sat in the back seat with Salem, who languidly leaned on the car window, gazing at the passing scenery.

"Daddy, is Uncle Ellie sleeping over?" Nala asked.

Rios smiled and reached his arm back to pat his daughter's knee.

"Yeah, Uncle Ellie's going to stay with us for a while until he gets all better," Rios said lightheartedly.

The young girl giggled in excitement and leaned over on Salem, who wrapped an arm around her and gave a small smile.

"We're gonna have so much fun!" she exclaimed. "We can play games and tell stories and-"

"Nala, listen," Rios interrupted. "Uncle Ellie needs to rest so he can get better, okay? He might not feel like playing all the time. His medicine makes him sleepy."

Nala nodded, revealing a concerned demeanor. She looked up at Salem and held his hand.

"It's okay, we don't have to play all the time," she said with a smile. "I'll take care if him."

Salem laughed and held the girl tighter, planting a light kiss on her hair.

They arrived at the house and while Rios and Samantha got the bags, Nala took Salem's hand and guided him inside and onto the couch. Rios set the other man's bag into the guest room and pulled back the covers on the bed. He checked the time on the small digital clock that rested on the bedside table. 5:30 p.m. That meant it was time for Salem to take two more pain killers, which would probably knock him out for the rest of the night.

He returned to the living room with a glass of water in one hand, two pills in the other.

"Hey, Tyse?" Salem said with a pained voice, holding a hand over his chest.

"Yeah, I know, Ellie. Here," Rios said as he handed the medication and glass to Salem.

The younger man put the pills to his mouth and threw his head back as he swallowed, then took a long sip of water. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and gave a quiet, "Thanks," before falling back on the couch, laying his head on the armrest and pushing his hair back off his forehead. Nala sat on the couch by Salem's side and held his callused hand.

"You smell funny, Uncle Ellie."

"Nala," Rios said warningly. Salem chuckled and began running his free hand through the young girl's messy, black hair.

"Thanks," he remarked sarcastically. "You know, you'd smell too if you couldn't take a shower for a few days."

"Why can't you take a shower?" Nala asked, confused.

"He couldn't get his bandages wet," Rios explained. "He can now though. You wanna get in the shower tonight, Elliot?"

"Nah, not tonight. Too tired. I'll take one in the morning."

"Whatever you say," Rios said. "Bed's ready if you wanna call it a night."

"Yeah, I think I'll do that," Salem answered as he stood off the couch. He hugged Nala and said 'goodnight' to both Rios and his daughter and made his way to the guest room.

"If you need anything, don't think twice about waking me up, you got me?" Rios called.

"Sure thing, Boss," Salem said sleepily, giving a little two-fingered salute.

The other three spent the evening relaxing in the living room, watching television with Samantha and Nala on either side of Tyson. Later that night, after Samantha put Nala to bed, she and her husband went to their bedroom to retire for the evening. They lay in bed, facing each other, Samantha resting her head on his arm and stroking her husband's scarred cheek.

"Something's been bothering you," she said, her voice filled with concern.

"It's nothing, Sam. Just worried about Elliot."

"No," Samantha said. "Elliot gets hurt all the time. This is something different."

Rios sighed and pulled her closer, kissing her forehead.

"You can tell me anything, Tyson," she said comfortingly. "I just hate when you keep it all in like that."

He turned over on his back and looked up at the ceiling, deep in thought. After a long pause, Rios spoke.

"It was me."

"What?"

"I'm the one that shot him."

Again, the silence filled the room.

"Elliot? You mean you-"

"Yeah," Rios interrupted. "I shot Elliot."

Samantha sat up in bed and looked down at her husband in shock and confusion.

"But-but why? Why would you-"

"I didn't think I had a choice. That mad man threatened to kill seven million people unless one of us killed the other. I wasn't thinking. I just...acted," Rios said, attempting to vindicate himself.

Samantha took a minute to absorb her husband's words.

"Mad man? You mean that guy on the news? Jonah? Yeah, Jonah, that was his name. You met him?"

Rios sighed, then nodded in response.

"More than met him. I blew his brains out after..."

"You shot Elliot," she finished.

"Yeah."

Samantha laid back down and rested her arm under Rios' head and pulled him close to her chest, rubbing circles between his shoulder blades.

"I don't know what to say," she whispered into his ear, staring into the distance.

"Shit, Sam, I fucked up."

"Tyse-"

"All I can think about is his face. His fucking face when I turned and pulled the trigger."

"Tyson, please-"

"And the sound. Everything was in slow motion. Jesus, that sound he made."

Samantha felt warm droplets fall onto her arm as Rios began to sob heavily, dampening her shirt. She held him tightly and tried to console him as he muttered incomprehensibly through the tears. Rios eventually fell asleep in her arms, but it took Samantha several minutes before she could follow suit. Her mind was reeling from the turn of events as she kept replaying the conversation in her head.

* * *

Rios awoke the next morning to the smell of fresh breakfast emanating from the downstairs kitchen. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed as he rubbed his puffy, tired eyes. After he went to the bathroom and ran cold water over his face, Rios made his way downstairs and to the kitchen, where he found Nala and Salem sitting at the kitchen island, eating eggs, bacon, and toast, while Samantha stood at the stove, preparing more breakfast.

"Daddy's up!" Nala exclaimed as she slid from her stool and jumped into her father's arms.

"Hey, baby. I see Uncle Ellie's up too. Thought you'd sleep in, Flaco."

"Yeah, well I probably would've if somebody hadn't snuck in my room and jumped me," he said, pointing his fork at Nala and giving her a pretend mean glare.

"Nala, what did I tell you about bothering him?" Rios said as he sat her back down in the stool.

"But, Daddy, Mommy made breakfast and I thought he would want some so-"

"So you jump on him?"

"And tickled him," she said proudly.

Salem reached over and jabbed his fingers under the little girl's arms, making her squeal with surprise and laugh hysterically.

"How do you like it, girly?" Salem said teasingly as he tickled Nala. She fell off her stool into his arms, so Salem lifted her up onto his lap and continued the assault.

"Uncle Ellie!" she yelled through her laughter. "Stop, stop, please!"

He finally relented, kissed the top of her head, and sat her back down on her own stool.

"Shouldn't you be in school, young lady?" Rios asked.

"I let her stay home today," Samantha explained as she moved over to Rios and planted a kiss on his lips. "I thought it'd be good for her to spend time with you since you just got home. Breakfast?"

He took the plate she offered him and thanked her. Taking a seat next to Salem, the bigger man ruffled his hair and noticed he had already bathed.

"He doesn't smell anymore, Daddy."

"Will you quit it with the way I smell?" Salem exclaimed with a laugh.

Nala snickered and copied her father by running her finger's through Salem's hair.

"I like you better when you're clean," she explained. "That way I can hug you better."

"You take you're meds, Ellie?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah," Salem answered waving his hand at Rios.

"What time?"

"Oh, eight, eight-thirty?"

"Eight twenty-three," Nala said matter-of-factly with her mouth full of eggs.

"There you go," Salem said with a smile, patting Nala on the back.

"I told you I'd take care of him! Now, Uncle Ellie, that means you take it again at one twenty-three."

Salem laughed. "Damn, Tyse, does she get that from you or Samantha? I know she didn't pick it up from me."

"Oh, I know she doesn't get it from your trigger-happy-"

"Tyson, language," Samantha warned.

Salem snickered and jerked his hand in the air while imitating the sound of a whip. Rios playfully smacked the back of the younger man's head in return.

"Daddy!" Nala said, appalled. "Be easy with Uncle Ellie. He's hurt, remember?" She wrapped her small arms as far as she could around Salem's waist and dug her face into his hoody.  
"Yeah, big guy," Salem said pitifully. "Be easy."

Rios rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around Salem's shoulder, pulling him close.

"Okay, okay. I'll try to be gentle with him. But just this once."

Nala giggled and kissed both Rios and Salem on the cheek, then positioned herself on her father's lap.

"See, Uncle Ellie? Daddy wouldn't do anything to hurt you."


	5. Chapter 5

"How about this one?" Nala asked, placing her finger over a photograph in the worn, dense scrapbook tucked nicely in her lap. Salem, who sat with an arm around the small girl on the dark, leather sofa, eyed the photograph, then scoffed.

"Somalia, '94," he answered. "Now, that was a crazy time."

"Somalia," Nala repeated, slowly pronouncing each syllable as she ran her finger over the picture. "Were you with SCC?"

"SSC," Salem corrected with a chuckle. "And no, it was right before."

Nala nodded, then turned to look back at her uncle.

"What made it crazy?" she asked quizzically.

Salem sighed and pushed back his hair as he recalled the events that unfolded on that fateful day.

"Well, you're old man and I were still in the Rangers. He was a corporal and I was-"

"Private, first-class," Nala said admiringly.

"Hey, who's tellin' the story here?" Salem exclaimed, smiling at the girl's enthusiasm. Nala giggled and turned back to examine the photograph.

The picture was somewhat wrinkled and had a small tear stemming from the bottom left corner, revealing its obvious senescence and handling. It depicted the two men, still wearing their tactical vests and combat uniforms, standing side by side. Rios had an arm wrapped around the younger man's shoulders. Salem, donning aviators and his worn, camouflage hat turned backwards on his head, held one arm behind his friend's back, the other held up and displaying a rock sign. Both men smiled widely at the camera.

"You're hair was short then," Nala said.

"Yeah."

"And Daddy doesn't have a scar."

"A lot of stuff changed when we went private. Anyway, back to Somalia. We were sent in to take care of some terrorist leader, there was a big firefight, a few close calls. Then, there was that a-hole..." Salem stopped, remembering the encounter.

"Who?"

"Nobody."

"Oh, please Uncle Ellie. I wanna know who."

Salem looked down at her pleading eyes and as much of a pain it was to think about him, Salem answered.

"Philip Clyde." The words slid off his touch with disgust.

"I haven't met him."

Salem scoffed.

"You won't either. He's dead. Don't like to talk about him much, Nala."

The young girl whined in protest.

"But, Uncle Ellie, I haven't heard this story before. Please tell me."

Salem ruffled his fingers through her hair and sighed.

"Later, kid-o. When you're older. Just not now."

"Okay," she said, disappointed, but didn't argue. She knew that Salem was stubborn and if he didn't want to talk about something, it was best left alone. Their conversation was interrupted when Rios entered the living room, holding his car keys and Salem's black zip-up hoody.

"Hey, it's 1:30. We better go if we want to get to the doctor on time."

Salem sighed and lifted his arm up from behind Nala, stood up from the sofa, then kissed her softly on the top of her head.

"Sorry, kid-o, but story time'll have to continue another time."

"Okay, Uncle Ellie. See you later."

Salem took his jacket from Rios and the two men made their way out the door to the black pick-up parked in the driveway. On the drive to the hospital, Rios looked over from the driver's seat and noticed Salem looking absentmindedly out the window, his foot tapping with nervous energy. Rios reached a hand over and began rubbing circles between the other man's shoulder blades in an attempt to lower his anxiety. Salem had always been uncertain when it came to doctors, which Rios viewed as another of his little quirks, like his claustrophobia. He tried to get the younger man to overcome his fears for awhile, but to no avail. The only thing Rios could do was help his friend get through it as best he could.

They reached the hospital and walked across the parking lot. Rios held the door open for Salem, but he hesitated entering, the anxiety showing through his normally confident disposition. Rios placed his hand against Salem's back and gave him a gentle nudge inside.

"Come on, Ellie," he said comfortingly. "Nothin' to worry about."

Salem just nodded and followed Rios down the hall and into a small waiting room. The younger man sat down in one of the chairs as Rios went over to the desk to sign him in. When he returned, Rios sat down next to Salem and patted him reassuringly on the knee.

"Hey, Guns and Ammo," Rios said, handing over the magazine to distract his nervous friend.

Salem reluctantly took the magazine and began flipping through the pages, occasionally commenting on an article or photograph. After several minutes, a nurse opened the door and examined her clipboard.

"Elliot Salem?"

Both men stood and, again, Rios gave Salem an encouraging push. Salem nodded weakly to the nurse that greeted them at the door. Then, she had him stand on the scale to record his weight.

"165," she said, smiling at Salem. "Now, for you're blood pressure."

He sat down in the chair by the scale and the nurse slipped the black band around his arm, fastening the Velcro tight. After squeezing on the pump and counting Salem's pulse with her finger, she removed the band and recorded the results.

"112 over 70. Very good. Follow me, please."

The two men were lead down a hall and into a small room. Rios sat down in a chair by the wall, while Salem lifted himself onto the examination table, anxiously swinging his legs over the side.

"Dr. Oliver will be with you soon," the nurse said politely, then left, quietly closing the door behind her.

They sat in silence with Rios occasionally looking over at Salem, who stared down at his twiddling thumbs. His eyebrows were furrowed and his lips tight from trepidation.

"It's just a check up, Elliot. He's going to take a look at you and see if you're healing all right, maybe prescribe you something, no big deal."

"No big deal," Salem repeated quietly, attempting to relax.

Several minutes passed before they heard the door click and the doctor entered. He was a short, portly, middle-aged man with a round, amiable face marked with smile lines around his full cheeks and cheerful eyes.

"Mr. Rios," Dr. Oliver greeted warmly, shaking the large man's hand.

"I half expected to see Nala," he said, turning to Salem. "It's nice to meet you-"

"Elliot," Salem answered, returning the handshake. Dr. Oliver sat in a chair by the examination table, took out a pen, and placed his clipboard on his lap.

"Nice to meet you, Elliot. Now, what's seems to be the problem?"

"We just need you to take a look at a gun shot wound," Rios answered.

"Excuse me?" Dr. Oliver said quizzically. "You mean you-"

"Took a bullet, Doc," Salem finished. "I take it you don't deal with stuff like this a lot."

"Honestly, no," the doctor said. "But I'll take a look."

Salem removed his jacket and then his t-shirt, revealing the large square bandage on his chest. Bluish-green and purple bruises covering his broken ribs extended past the dressing shielding the ballistic wound and ran down his side. After slipping on latex gloves, the doctor gently pulled back the bandage, divulging the swollen, annular lesion on his chest where the bullet had entered.

"Now, how long ago did this happen?" Dr. Oliver asked, carefully scrutinizing and feeling around Salem's chest.

"A couple weeks ago," Rios answered. He turned his attention away from the grotesque wound and instead tried to focus on Salem's face and read his emotions. The younger man gazed down at his bruised form, watching the doctor lightly prod at his ribs, flinching when he reached a more sensitive area.

"I see. And are you taking any medication for this?"

"Just some pain killers," Salem said.

"Codeine," Rios added.

Dr. Oliver threw away the old bandage and began covering Salem's chest with a new, fresh one as he talked.

"Well, from what I can see, it's healing quite well. The swelling is normal and should subside as well as the bruising. There really isn't much you can do for injuries like these except let it heal on its own. I can prescribe you an antibiotic to prevent infection. Bed rest will do you good as well. You can put your shirt back on now."

He returned to his clipboard and began scribbling the prescription on the slip of paper as Rios helped Salem dress. After the younger man slipped his t-shirt back on, he slid off the examination table and stood by Rios. Dr. Oliver handed the slip to Rios and shook his hand.

"Thanks for coming in and if you have any questions or concerns, just call."

After Rios thanked him, the doctor turned to Salem and shook his hand as well.

"It was nice meeting you, Elliot. I hope you get well soon," he said warmly.

"Thanks, Doc," Salem said, returning the handshake.

They both left the hospital and returned to the pick-up. After picking up Salem's prescription, Rios drove them home. Nala greeted them at the door, hugging them both as they entered the house. Samantha had already begun making dinner and Rios helped her in the kitchen while Salem, after taking his antibiotics, sat with Nala in the living room and watched television.

When dinner was ready and the table was set, the four ate in the dining room. Rios was delighted to see his family sitting down together, having friendly conversation and actually seeming happy. Despite everything that happened, it seemed like things were actually getting back to normal.

After dinner, they all sat in the living room and relaxed. Rios laid on the couch holding Samantha while Salem sat comfortably in a recliner with Nala sitting at his feet, watching her cartoons. A few minutes passed before Salem stood abruptly from the recliner and walked briskly down the hall, then broke into a run to the bathroom. Rios heard a loud clang as he slammed the toilet lid open and began vomiting. Samantha sat up, allowing Rios to get up from the couch and run to the bathroom.

"Elliot?"

He saw Salem sitting on his knees grasping the seat as he retched violently. When he was done, Salem sat back from the toilet and against the wall of the bathroom, his eyes watering and his face daubed in sweat. Rios fetched a wash cloth, ran cool water over it, and wiped Salem's face.

"Jesus, Elliot, what's wrong with you?"

"D-d-don't know," Salem said, shivering."

He suddenly moved back toward the toilet and began vomiting again, coughing and shuddering as he held tightly to the seat. Rios put one hand over the younger man's forehead and rubbed his back with the other.

"What's wrong with him," Samantha asked, peeking into the bathroom from the hall.

"I think it might be his meds, the antibiotics. Sam, I need you to call the doctor, tell 'em he's having a bad reaction or something."

After Samantha went to fetch the phone, Salem moaned and leaned back against Rios. The bigger man pushed back the hair off the other's damp forehead and wrapped an arm around his abdomen.

"Fuck you," Salem said through labored breaths. "And fuck your doctor."

"I'm sorry, Ellie. I had no idea-"

"Yeah, I know," Salem interrupted. "Just, no more doctors, okay?"

Rios chuckled lightly and held him tight.

"Yeah, alright. No more doctors."

"Oh, fuck," Salem moaned as his pulled away from Rios and back to the toilet. Rios held his head and kept his bangs back as he hurled the contents of his stomach.

"Dr. Oliver's on the phone," Samantha said when she returned. "He says he's probably having an allergic reaction."

"I figured that," Rios said, holding Salem. "What should we do?"

"He says there's not really anything you can do but ride it out," Samantha answered.

Rios sighed heavily. This was going to be a long night.

***  
Salem laid his forehead on the toilet seat, sobbing softly. It had been hours since his allergic reaction had started and he was exhausted. He'd vomited nine times now and everything that came up had been yellow, sour phloem that made him cringe from the taste and smell. Rios pulled him from the toilet to lean back on his chest. Salem closed his eyes, tears running down his cheeks.

"Hurts so bad, Tyse."

"I know, Ellie, I know," Rios said, stroking Salem's sweat drenched hair.

"So tired. Just want it to stop."

"I think it's over now. Just relax, okay?"

They spent the next few hours of the night in the bathroom floor with Rios leaning back against the wall holding Salem, who had finally fallen asleep and was softly snoring. At about three in the morning, Rios scooped up the younger man into his arms and carried him to the guest room. He laid Salem down on the bed and pulled the covers up over him.  
After washing his hand and face, Rios went upstairs to his own bed and laid down by Samantha, wrapping an arm around her. He drifted off to sleep, grateful that that long night was finally over.  
Rios was awoken by a small nudge on his shoulder. He turned over on his side and saw Nala sitting on her knees looking over him.

"What is it, baby?" he asked, still groggy from his lack of sleep. He looked over at the digital clock sitting on the night stand. 4:36.

"I think Uncle Ellie's having a nightmare, Daddy," she said with concern.

Rios sighed, rubbed his tired eyes, and slid out of bed. He stood and stretched, then ran his hand over Nala's head.

"Okay, baby. I'll check on him. Just go back to sleep."

He left his bedroom and made his way downstairs and to the guest bedroom. From behind the closed door, Rios could hear the younger man's cries as he fought in his sleep. He slowly opened the door, entered the room, and moved over to Salem, who was tossing and turning, tangling himself in the sheets. Rios sat on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on Salem's shoulder, speaking comforting words to his troubled friend.

"Elliot, it's okay. I'm here."

When Salem didn't calm down, Rios laid down beside him, wrapping his arms around his smaller frame and holding the younger man's back to his chest. Eventually, the nightmare ended and Salem settled in Rios' arms, snoring softly. Rios rested his chin on the top of Salem's head and closed his eyes.

"Night, Flaco," Rios whispered into his hair before he slowly drifted back to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Samantha sighed heavily as she sunk down into the living room sofa. After picking up around the house, doing the laundry, loading the dishwasher, and disinfecting the downstairs bathroom after Salem's horrendous allergic reaction, she was ready to spend the rest of her time at home relaxing and watching television until her husband returned after running errands and picking up their from school. Rios had insisted that he stay home and take care of things so he could keep an eye on Salem.

"You've been cooped up here too long," she reasoned. "Getting out of the house will do you good. Elliot will be perfectly fine without you for a couple of hours, and I'll be here if he needs anything."

Though reluctant at first, Rios agreed with her and departed from their home, leaving Samantha and Salem alone.

After a few minutes of idly flipping through the channels on the television, she heard a door from down the hall creak open along with the tired shuffling of socked feet nearing the living room. Salem emerged from the hallway, rubbing his puffy, lidded eyes, and shambled into the kitchen, where Samantha could here him rummaging through the fridge.

_Jesus, I hope he washed his hands. _She rolled her eyes._ Who am I kidding? It's Salem. Of course he didn't wash his hands. Another thing for me to clean._

He entered he living room, holding a bottle of water in one hand, the other pushing back his messy hair.

"Mornin'," he muttered lazily.

"Afternoon, you mean."

"Huh?"

"It's 2:30," Samantha explained. "It's the afternoon."

Salem, too exhausted to make a snarky remark, plopped down hard onto the recliner, leaned back, and sighed. Samantha cringed as he did so. She hated the way he sat down so roughly, knowing it was breaking down the expensive, leather seat. She held herself back from scolding him, remembering her husband's request to "go easy on Elliot". She had never seen Rios so caring and gentle with the other man. The way he had stayed up all night with him and cleaned him up, and then spent the night with him after he had one of his nightmares seemed unusual sensitive and caring. Even how Rios spoke to him seemed atypical compared to his usual stern and authoritative disposition.

"Where's Tyse?" Salem asked.

"He's doing some running, then he's going to pick up Nala from school."

After laying still for a few minutes, he stood abruptly from the recliner and headed down the hall, grabbing two towels from the hall closet before entering the bathroom, and closed the door behind him. Moments later, Samantha heard the shower water start up.

_And of course he'll take a ridiculously long shower. There goes the water bill._

Not that money was an issue, it was just how inconsiderate and irresponsible she felt Salem was, how he had always been since she first met him.

About forty-five minutes in, Samantha heard the water shut off and the shower curtain slide open. The bathroom door opened and Salem stepped out with a towel wrapped around his narrow waist and made his way to the guest bedroom. Minutes later, he returned to the living room, wearing only loose red and black plaid pajama pants. Again, much to Samantha's contempt, he fell down hard onto the recliner, his still-damp hair falling over his eyes. This was the first time she had seen the wound. The bruises spreading from behind the bandage and down his chest made her cringe. She knew it had to be painful.

The two sat in silence, staring at the television as the local news channel played. It seemed awkward to Samantha. She felt like she should say something, but nothing came to mind. She didn't really know Salem, didn't really like him for that matter, but she promised Rios she'd act nicer and try to make him feel at home, so starting friendly conversation seemed like the right thing to do.

"Weather looks like it'll be nice this weekend."

Salem just grunted in response. He pulled his legs up and curled into the recliner, leaning over on one of the arm rests.

"Do you want a blanket?" she asked.

"Um, yeah, actually," he said hesitantly, wary of this uncharacteristic hospitality. "That'd be nice."

"Okay," she said with a small smile. Samantha got up from the couch and returned with a thick patchwork quilt. After unfolding the blanket, she laid it over him, then sat back down on the couch.

"Thanks," he said quietly, curling up closer into the chair.

"Do you need anything else? I bet you're hungry after last night. You want some toast?"

Salem nodded and gave her a weak smile as she got up from the couch and made her way to the kitchen. Minutes later, she returned holding a plate with two slices of toasted bread. After handing over the plate, Samantha walked back over to the couch and laid down.

"Thanks again, Samantha," he said after taking a bite.

The two sat in silence watching television until Salem gave a small, pained moan and stood up off the recliner.

"You feeling sick again?" Samantha said worried. _Oh, God, pleases don't throw up without Tyson here. I'm not about to clean that up._

"No," Salem answered from the kitchen, digging through the medicine cabinet. "Just need my pain killers."

He returned to the living room with the pills in his hand and sat back down in the recliner. He put the medicine to his mouth and threw his head back as he swallowed, taking a long drink from his water bottle. Salem curled back up into the chair and under the quilt, his discomfort and pain showing on his face. When the pain became to much, he sat up in the chair and leaned over, holding a hand over his injured side.

"Are you okay?"

"It's nothin'. Just hurts like this sometimes. Should fade off."

After a few minutes, the pain subsided and he sat back in the recliner, sighing in relief. He curled the blanket up around his shoulders and pulled his feet back up and into the chair.

"God, this sucks," he said. "Just wish it would heal already."

"Tyson does to."

"Yeah, I bet he does," Salem said with a hint of disdain, then immediately cursed himself for saying something like that in front of Samantha.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked accusingly.

"Nothin'. Forget about it."

"You know, you're not the only one suffering here," Samantha said as her anger began to escalate.

"Samantha, really, I didn't-"

"No, Elliot, you listen. I don't think you understand what you're putting Tyson through. Almost every night, he's cried himself to sleep over this."

The room became silent as Salem took in her words.

"He told you, didn't he?"

"What?"

"He told you about what happened in Shanghai."

Samantha grimaced, her temper reaching its peak.

"Yes, Elliot, he told me what happened. You know what else he told me?" Her voice grew as she spoke and she stood from the sofa, clenching her fists.

"He told me about how you won't talk about it and how you're making him keep it all inside and how this whole thing is _killing_ him! You selfish bastard. He took you in to our home, took care of you, saved your life, and you can't even forgive him?"

"I did! I told him I did!" Salem yelled.

"Like hell you did. You're still pissed because, for once, he chose someone else over you. He didn't put you first, and that drives you crazy."

"You don't know shit!" he screamed.

Salem stood up from the chair, clenching his fists, resisting the urge to seriously harm his antagonizer.

"I just don't get it." she said with a complacent look.

"Wow, Samantha, I thought you knew everything about us. What the fuck could you possibly not get?"

"Why he chose you."

Salem was taken aback, unsure of what to say. He honestly didn't get it either. When he first met Rios, sure they didn't get along at first, but they just clicked. Before, Salem had always pictured himself being independent and better off alone, but after meeting Rios, he couldn't imagine living without him by his side.

"I could say the same about you," he said smugly.

"Don't you turn this on me, Elliot! I'm not the one just using Tyson and taking advantage of him while he's at his weakest!"

"While _he's_ at _his_ weakest? You think I wanted this, that I'm using him? I'm the one that got fucking shot!"

"Better you than him."

Silence.

Salem looked down at his feet and swallowed hard.

"I know," he said, in a shaky voice.

He sat back down on the recliner, resting his elbows on his knees and covering his face with his hands, defeated.

"I fucking know," he said through his heavy sobbing. Samantha was taken aback. She had never seen Salem like this, so weak. A small pang of guilt grew in her chest.

"I never coulda done it. I'd let Shanghai burn a hundred times over if it meant we'd be together. I can't lose him, Samantha. If I did, I woulda put a bullet in my head before he hit the fuckin' ground."

"Elliot-"

"I don't want him hurting. Last thing I want. He's all I got. Him and Nala and you."

Samantha wasn't sure what to do. The argument hadn't turned out like she had expected. She just wanted to show Salem it wasn't all about him and how much Rios was hurting because of him and that it wasn't Rios' fault that any of this happened. Instead, all she did was make herself look like the bad guy and she knew her husband would come home any minute and find Salem a complete wreck and God knows what he would do then. Though it was tempting, apologizing wasn't an option to her. Samantha had come this far by confronting Salem and she felt that if she gave in, the whole argument would have been a waste and he wouldn't have gotten the message.

Samantha looked down at the sobbing man and, not knowing what else to do, walked calmly upstairs to her bedroom, closed the door behind her, and sat at the foot of the bed, hugging her knees to her chest.

Minutes later, she heard the front door open.

"We're home!" she heard Nala yell from downstairs.

There were footsteps approaching up the stairs and toward the bedroom. The door opened and Rios entered, a concerned look on his scarred face.

"Hey, Sam. Why're you up here? Something wrong?"

Samantha sighed heavily.

"You should talk to Elliot," she said, looking down at the floor.

"Why?" he asked with growing unease.

"I...said some things, Tyson..."

"Sam," he said with rising anger. "What did you do?"

When she didn't answer, Rios turned and left the bedroom, moving hurriedly down the stairs and to the guest room. He threw open the door and entered the dark room, his heart beating with worried excitement.

"Elliot?"

Rios saw the younger man sitting on the edge of his bed, facing away from the door, bent over and holding his face in his hands.

"Jesus, Elliot, I'm so sorry. I didn't-"

"Don't," Salem said weakly. "Just leave me alone."

Rios climbed across the bed and wrapped his arms around Salem from behind, pressing his cheek to the younger man's temple.

"In all the years we've known each other, have I ever just left you alone?"

Salem shook his head 'no' as tears began to streak down his face.

"That's right, Ellie, and I'm not about to do it now," Rios said, hugging Salem tighter.

"I don't know what Samantha said to you, Elliot, but I want you to forget it, okay? I love you and nothing's gonna change that. You got that, Flaco?"

"Got it," Salem said through his heavy sobbing.

He turned to face Rios and laid down on the bed. Rios followed suit and let Salem rest his head on his bicep, then bent his arm over the smaller man's head and brushed his fingers through his messy hair. Salem dug his face into Rios' muscled chest and gripped tightly to his shirt, dampening it with his tears. The bigger man began rubbing circles in between Salem's shoulder blades comfortingly and held him tightly.

After a few minutes, the hysterical sniveling and shaking ceased and Rios looked down at the now sleeping man in his arms. He carefully pulled his arm out from under Salem's head and got up out of the bed, then left the room, quietly closing the door behind him. Standing with his back to the door, he sighed heavily and closed his eyes. An immense rage was building inside of him. He was going to have to talk with Samantha and try to clean up this mess.


	7. Chapter 7

Salem was awoken by the sudden shift of the mattress from Nala's weight as the young girl climbed onto his bed. She sat in front of him on her calfs, watching him, a look of concern on her face.

"Uncle Ellie?"

"Yeah, baby girl?"

"Can I stay in your room tonight?"

Salem sat up and leaned on his elbow. "What's wrong, Nala? Why you wanna sleep with me?" he asked sleepily.

She laid down, placing her old teddy bear between her and Salem, and snuggled up next to him.

"Mommy and Daddy are fighting," she said solemnly. "They're yelling a lot and I can't sleep."

Salem pulled the covers up over her and wrapped an arm around the small girl, resting his chin on her head.

"S'okay, kid-o."

"I don't think it is."

"People fight sometimes. Me and your old man fight a lot, and we turned out okay."

"I hope Mommy and Daddy turn out okay."

"It'll be fine, girly. Promise."

"But Daddy sounded really mad. Do you know what they're fighting about?"

"No," Salem lied. He knew exactly why. They were fighting about him and what Samantha said to him that night. Rios had of course come to Salem's defense, but Samantha's words still haunted him. He learned of Rios' pain, a pain he was somewhat responsible for. Though the thought of actually discussing Shanghai made him uneasy and scared, he knew it had to be done for Rios' sake, for the sake of their friendship.

He kissed the top of Nala's head, then let out a lengthy yawn. The night had been draining and he was exhausted. With Nala's warmth against him and the pile of blankets laid over them, it was difficult keeping his eyes open.

"Why were you crying, Uncle Ellie?" she asked with a worried tone.

"What makes you think I was crying?"

"Your eye are all puffy and I could hear you and Daddy from outside."

"You listened in on us?" he said with a hint of surprise.

"I was scared. I wanted to know if you were okay. Why were you crying?"

Salem sighed and hugged her closer.

"Chest was hurtin' pretty bad," he lied again. "Started tearing up. S'okay now. Don't worry."

"Oh," she said. "I wish you didn't hurt so much."

"Me too," he agreed, kissing her again.

Minutes passed and Salem began drifting off asleep before Nala spoke again.

"Something really bad happened in Shanghai, didn't it? Daddy won't tell me whenever I ask about it."

Salem thought about how to answer before he said,"Yeah, something bad happened."

"Will you tell me?"

"Maybe when you're older, but not now, okay?"

"Okay, Uncle Ellie," she said and snuggled up closer.

That was one thing he really loved about Nala. She didn't pressure or pry when it came to the touchy subjects. She just listened and let Salem know she was there for him and loved him unconditionally.

Minutes later, after Nala had drifted off to sleep in his arms, the bedroom door slowly opened and Rios entered. He gave a weak smile as he saw the two cuddled up under the blankets. This time, he was grateful for his daughter disobeying him and coming into Salem's room. The younger man needed reassurance that he was loved and if anyone could do that, it was Nala. Rios noticed that Salem was still awake and walked over to his side of the bed. He gently sat down on the edge of the bed next to Salem, careful not to wake up the sleeping girl.

"She heard you guys arguing," Salem explained. "Everything okay?"

"To be honest, I don't know," Rios answered exasperated. "I just can't believe she fuckin' did that. I thought I could trust her to leave you alone for once, you know? I just-"

"Tyse," Salem said, laying his hand on Rios' forearm. "It's late. We can deal with all this tomorrow, okay? All of it."

Rios sighed, emotionally drained from the day's events, and nodded.

"Okay, Elliot. Sorry. Hey, you mind if I stay here for tonight too? I don't think I can face Sam for a while."

"Sure, big guy, but it might be a little crowded," he joked, looking down at Nala.

Rios chuckled lightly, then got up and walked around to the other side of the bed. He carefully laid down next to Nala, who stirred slightly from the shifting mattress.

The next morning, Rios woke up and looked over at the digital clock resting on the night stand, which read 5:56 a.m. Salem and Nala were still asleep next to him, snuggled up together under the blankets. Rios smiled at the sight and rubbed his tired eyes before he carefully got up out of bed and left the room.

Samantha had already left for work, so the house was silent as he walked down the hall and to the kitchen. He prepared a pot of coffee for himself and for Salem whenever he awoke, then sat down on the couch, rubbing his eyes in frustration.  
This whole thing was a mess. He regretted telling his wife about the events in Shanghai, but at the time he felt like he had no choice. It was killing him to not be able to confide in someone about the immense guilt he felt. Rios thought he could trust Samantha to just listen to him, but he should have known better. She had never been fond of Salem and this whole situation was just new ammunition to use against him. It was bad enough before Samantha got a say, but now it was a downright disaster and Rios knew he had to do some serious damage control.

About thirty minutes later, Rios returned to the guest bedroom to retrieve Nala, who needed to eat breakfast and get ready for school. He walked over to the bed and untangled her from Salem's grasp and gently pulled her hand from his. Salem stirred in his sleep and his eyes fluttered open.

"Sorry, El. Nala needs to get ready for school. You don't need to get up."

"No, it's fine. Come on, girly," Salem said, sitting up with the small girl still holding him tightly. He slid out of bed with her in his arms and carried her to the kitchen, where he sat her down at the kitchen island for breakfast. She rubbed her sleep filled eyes and yawned.

"Mornin' Daddy. Mornin' Uncle Ellie."

"Good morning, baby girl," Rios said as her kissed her lightly on her head.

Salem sat down beside her on a stool and the two ate cereal together while Rios drank his coffee. After breakfast, Salem put his and Nala's bowls into the kitchen sink and ran water over them while Nala ran off to her bedroom to get dressed. After cleaning up, the younger man went to the living room and sat next to Rios as he watched the morning news. A few minutes later, after Nala had dressed and brushed her teeth, she came into the living room, sat down at Salem's feet, and reached back behind her to hand him a hair band and brush.

"Braid my hair, please," she said with a giggle.

Salem chuckled and took the brush and band from Nala, then began untangling her dark locks. He separated her hair into sections and began to weave and twist her hair until it ended in a single braided length.

"Beautiful," he said with a smile as he ran the long braid through his hand.  
"Thank you, Uncle Ellie."

She stood from the floor and positioned herself on the couch in between Rios and Salem.

"You ready?" Rios asked Nala, who nodded in response.

"All packed up? Lunch? Pencils? Paper?" Salem added.

"Yes, yes, and yes," she answered proudly. "But, Daddy? Are you sure I can't stay home again with you and Uncle Ellie?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. You've already played hooky once this week so you have to go today."

"Oh, this stinks," she whined in protest.

"Don't worry, kid-o," Salem said reassuringly. "We'll have plenty of time to hang when you get back. And, hey, it's Thursday, so it's just today then tomorrow then we got all weekend."

Nala smiled at her uncle an hugged him around his neck

"Oh, alright," she said, then slid off the couch and slipped her backpack straps over her small shoulders. "Bye, Uncle Ellie. See you after school."

"Bye, girly."

"I'll be back in about fifteen," Rios called as he left the house with Nala and shut the door behind him.

Salem sighed and leaned back into the couch cushion. He sat there, tapping his foot with nervous energy, waiting for Rios to return. They would have that long needed discussion that Salem had fought to delay for so long, too long.

About twenty minutes later, Salem heard the deadbolt unlock and the front door open as Rios entered the house. He went to the kitchen and poured himself another cup of coffee, as well as one for Salem, then returned to the living room, handing over the mug to his friend.

"Thanks."

Rios took a sip of his coffee, then rested his arm on the back of the sofa, crossed his legs and propped them up on the coffee table.

"You can start whenever," Rios said, looking over to Salem.

"I think you better go," Salem responded, looking down at his coffee mug.

Rios sighed and set down his cup on the coffee table. He sat up off the couch cushion and turned to Salem, thinking of where to begin.

"I shot you."  
"Yeah."

"I shot you because I thought I had to. I thought I had to do it to save a whole city."

"I get that," Salem answered. "I get that you feel real shitty about it too. But, Rios, please just move on."

"I think why it bothers me so much is that I really didn't think about it, Ellie. I just did it. I shot my best friend without even thinking about it."

"Tyse, no. That whole thing was fucked up. We had ten seconds. You didn't have time to think. You're kinda boss, so you made the call. That's what you're supposed to do. Make the call."

"Yeah, I'm supposed to make the call that gets us both out in one piece."

"Tyse, hear me out," Salem said as he laid a hand on Rios' knee. "You're hurtin' more than me about this whole thing and I'm the one that took a bullet. Just think about it. This is honestly probably the best case scenario we could have. You're alive. I'm alive. Seven million people are still alive. Jonah's dead. We're together."

There was a long silence between the two as Rios thought and took in Salem's words.

"You remember the Ranger Creed?" he asked.

Salem gave a small, breathy chuckle. "Know it by heart. Hell, I could probably say it backwards."

"Never shall I fail my comrades. You remember that line?"

"Tyse, don't. One, we aren't Rangers any more. Two, it also says, 'I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong, and _morally straight_. A lot of people would count what you did as pretty fucking morally straight. About seven million people."

"Any way I look at it, Elliot, it doesn't feel right. All I can think about is what if I didn't bring you home. What would it do to Nala? I couldn't live with myself."

"Everything thing we do, every mission could keep me or you from coming home."

"It's not the same, Elliot. It would've been because of me!"

Salem could see Rios' eyes were red and had begun to water. The smaller man moved over closer to him and opened his arms, welcoming him into an embrace. Rios leaned into Salem and let him wrap an arm around his back. Salem held Rios' head in the crook of his neck and rubbed circles in his back.

"Tyse, please. Let's just put this whole thing behind us. We could debate about this shit forever, but nothing's gonna change what happened."

Rios hugged Salem tighter and nodded against his chest.  
"And nothing's gonna change how I feel about you. I love you, man. Always will. And no psycho's idea of a social experiment is gonna fuck with that."

Rios moved a hand up Salem's chest and laid it over the spot where the wound was.

"You're family, Elliot, and I just...just threw you away."

"Damn right, I'm family. And families, no matter how fucking annoying or irritating or anything, forgive each other, Tyse. Look at me.

Salem took Rios' face in his hands, rubbing a thumb over the jagged scar on his cheek. A tear ran down his face as he looked earnestly into the bigger man's eyes.

"I forgive you, and you should too."

"Shit, Ellie," he sobbed as he pulled Salem into his arms and buried the younger man's head into his chest. No words were spoken for several minutes. Rios just held him, running a hand through his hair and resting his chin over his head as he shed tears of both self-reproach and relief. He still hated himself and the decision he had to make. He hated Salem's unconditional love even under these circumstances, even when he had completely betrayed him. At the same time, though, he was grateful. It was an overwhelming comfort to know that someone was there for you through it all, even your own mistakes.  
Salem closed his eyes as Rios held him to his chest. He didn't move or try to break from the embrace. He just relaxed into Rios' arms as the large man sobbed. He needed this, both of them did. They needed to release the built up feelings, the guilt, the anger, the fear.

"Let it out, big guy," Salem said comfortingly as he rubbed Rios' back and further buried his face in his chest.

After a few minutes, Rios released Salem and sat back into the couch cushion.

"You good?" Salem asked.

"Better, I guess."

"Hey, it's something."

Rios laid his head back and closed his eyes. He felt Salem's weight shift as he laid down on his back and rested his head on the bigger man's lap. Rios opened his eyes and looked down at Salem, who was peering up at him with a small half-smile. He ran his fingers threw Salem's bangs and pushed them back off of his forehead, then rested his hand over the smaller man's bandaged chest. Salem put a hand over Rios' and closed his eyes.  
Things seemed like they could go back to the way they were. This whole thing was just a bad situation, an obstacle to overcome. They could get passed it, all of it, together. Nothing could stop this army of two.


End file.
